The invention relates to a transport device for elongated substrates, a loading and unloading device and a method for loading and unloading the transport device.
The German patent application 10 2006 031 826.9, the entire content of which is incorporated in the present application by reference, discloses a transport device (carrier) for transporting elongated substrates through a vacuum coating system, which comprises an essentially rectangular frame, which is designed for rotationally positioning holding elements (for example, so-called inserts). The holding elements are configured in such a manner that they can be connected to one respective end of an elongated substrate. The substrates with the holding elements, which are arranged on the ends of said substrates, are disposed in the carrier in such a manner that the ends of the two holding elements are rotatably mounted on the opposite sides of the frame.
A first subject matter of the present application is an improvement of the above-described transport device. Another subject matter of the application relates to a loading and unloading device for loading and unloading the transport device. Still another subject matter of the application relates to a method for loading and unloading the transport device.